Number of Apps on App Store Declined in 2017 Following Apple’s Crackdown

According to data released by app analytics firm Appfigures (via TechCrunch), the total number of apps on the App Store shrank for the first time in 2017 following Apple’s quality crackdown. The data revealed that the App Store lost 5 percent of its total apps over the course of last year, decreasing the number of total apps from 2.2 million in the beginning of the year to 2.1 percent by year end.

In contrast, Google’s Play Store saw significant growth in 2017, recording a 30 percent increase in app. The Play Store hosted 3.6 million apps by the end of last year, with developers releasing 1.5 million new apps in 2017, up 17 percent over the previous year. Appfigures believes that the drop in number of apps was caused by a combination of factors, including Apple’s enforcement of its review guidelines and the technical change on iOS 11 which required apps developers to update their apps to the 64-bit architecture.

Back in 2016, Apple had also promised to clean up the App Store by removing outdated and abandoned apps, which included those that don’t meet the company’s current guidelines. Apple also took charge against clone and spam apps on the platform and combined with the number of 64-bit incompatible apps, the removals crossed hundreds of thousands over the course of the year.

Appfigures also claims that the decrease in number of apps can also be attributed to a decrease in the number of new apps submitted to the App Store in 2017. According to the data, developers added just 755,000 new apps to the App Store in 2017, which is a 29 percent dip from the previous year. Even though the number of apps has decreased, Apple’s effort to make sure the apps on the App Store prioritize quantity is quite appreciable.